Newbie!!! Questions need answering for all UK fans

I'll let one of the UK members respond about Pets at Home but I will say this, we strongly support adoption rather than buying for many reasons.

We also strongly recommend learning as much as you can about guinea pig care before adopting a guinea pig. You have a good start just being here on this forum. Take some time, look around and ask questions. Both you and your future furry friend will benefit from it.

Where about in the UK do you live?

I wouldn't recommend Pets at Home unless you adopt from their adoption center (the money goes to a charity). I made the mistake of buying my first guinea pigs there a few years ago, Bubble had bumblefoot, and Squeak had mites and a URI. Sorry if you were planning from buying from there, that's just from my experience. I'm sure you could find a rescue near you, because you can adopt two friendly bonded piggies Hope I helped!

I wouldn't recommend Pets at Home because a lot of the time the staff have nearly no clue what they're doing. At the one near me one of the staff dropped a young hamster on the floor, returned it to its cage and said she'd check on it later. I've hardly ever seen any veggies or hay or food for that matter, I'd definitely try sites like Preloved if you can't adopt from a rescue. I know my closest rescue is nearly an hour away but well worth the drive. They're also a lot friendlier and well looked after, and even come with a buddy so there's no need for introductions that may not even go well.
Good luck finding your piggies!

I would say the same as Abbie Lauren. Though not all P@H guineas are sick and not all P@H stores have problems, it is better to adopt a guinea pig, as there are so many rescues (even in the UK!) with guinea pigs that need a loving home. You could try the Piggy Bank UK. It's a rescue support network and they have a Google Map of some possible rescues across the UK that you can adopt from. The map is here: Piggy Bank UK - Recommended Guinea Pig Rescues - Google Maps. Though not all rescues are listed, you can always start there!

I am fully aware of the responsibility of having guinea pigs (any pets) and already have a house rabbit so know i can offer everything they need. I just feel sorry for the Guinea Pigs at Pets at Home and want to some what rescue them from living in awful conditions.

Thank you for your reply.

I live Birmingham area

Thank you for your reply.
I have a house rabbit which i bought from Pets at Home, i prefer buying direct from breeders however i felt so sorry for the rabbis and their living conditions that i had to rescue. Now im thinking the same about buying my guinea pigs!
Thank you for the advice

I go into Pets at Home all the time and wish I could take them all home. Our pet shops in the UK do sound a lot better than the ones in the US but they get the animals from the same places, breeding mills, and buying piggies is encouraging them to carry on mass breeding. The Pets at Home near me gets some of their pets from accidental litters, unwanted pets, rescues ect, so maybe it's worth asking a member of staff where they get their piggies from?

Oh no sorry to hear about your experience! I feel really sorry for them when i go in store hence why i feel the need to rescue x2 of them.
I will check out preloved.

Thank you for your reply.

I'd also check out Piggy Bank UK. They have a Google Map of many rescues that have guinea pigs across the UK.

i live in walsall area so not far from you, theres a few rescue places around.

Ack! Sorry for posting about Piggy Bank UK twice! I'm new and just learning the ropes - when my first post didn't show up, I thought it hadn't worked! I guess it was just being moderated for the link?

You could check out Wythall Animal Sancturary which is in Birmingham, there are a few piggies there as I'm adopting my house rabbit there soon Here's the link : (broken link removed)
Hope you find some nice piggies!

I know you feel bad for the pigs and want to save them from their awful living conditions, but when you buy one from a pet shop, another sow in a breeding mill runs the risk of dying to replace the one you bought. Please adopt, not shop. If you buy from a pet shop you will be supporting breeders.

i got my 2 first pigs from pets at home --nothing wrong with them- but they do a great adoption service there too- got my two Russian dwarfs from the adoption corner!

Stay away from Pets At Home! They get their animals from mills - some do take in unwanted litters, but I wouldn't believe a word they say. They are just in it for the money to be honest. You'd be better off rescuing - that way the two guineas you rescue will make room for two more so you are actually saving four guinea pigs, plus the money goes to fund the rescue. If you buy, the two you get will be replaced - by not opting to buy you will be saving more piggies in the long run.
Here is a Pets At Home report that BBC Watchdog did a few months ago:

haha don't get me started on Pets At Home.
I'm from the UK.
Watch this video and decide for yourself: BBC Watchdog - Pets At Home - Dead fish, Guinea pigs with Ringworm, ill Rabbits - YouTube

Oh and they say they fixed it now but I had to call the RSPCA about a guinea pig in there the other day.
They sell baby ones, which is fine, except this is a forum that supports adoption, meaning piggies who kinda had homes, but don't any more.
They also have 'adoption' sections in pets at home, which is good, except I don't really want my money to go to pets at home.
BUT, on the other hand, they do have a lot of good materials/supplies there such as the correct food, toys etc. I would prefer it if they were a supplies store, and never sold animals at all, but what can you do.
Basically, we support going to a rescue and getting piggies who need loving homes and snuggles
not ones that pets at home have bred especially for profit xD
"Rescuing" them from there won't help, they will just get more in.
But don't let this put you off, piggies are great, and with everyone's help I bet you can find gorgeous ones

@CathiiPiggie: ahah I guess we thought of the same thing xD